You know there’s a glut of potatoes available when you can go into your local supermarket and find a 10-pound bag of russets for $1.49, while a five-pound bag of the same spuds is selling for $2.47. That means plenty of potatoes for hauling this season. In fact, truck shortages are being reported in most of the major shipping areas, ranging from Idaho to Washington, Colorado and Wisconsin.
Idaho grows and ships about one-third of all U.S. potatoes each year. The state’s 2014 harvest, which recently completed, yielded about 13 billion pounds of potatoes from a little over 320,000 acres. That is enough potatoes to fill 500 football stadiums 10 feet high.
Idaho potato shipments should be pretty normal this season. Known for its russet potatoes, over the past decade, growers have diversified and now have an assortment of specialty potato varieties. The state is the number one shipper of fingerling potatoes, and Idaho is now the number two shipper of red potatoes.
Twin Falls, Idaho potatoes – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
U.S., Canada Potatoes
About 508 million cwt. of potatoes potentially will be shipped in the U.S. and Canada this season, 2 percent more than last season. U.S. fall production is estimated at 406 million cwt., Canadian production at 102 million cwt. The U.S. total is 3 percent higher than in Fall 2013. Canada’s production is down 1 percent. Production is up in the U.S. even though acreage is down. About 926,000 acres were harvested this fall, down from 934,000 acres last fall. Yields rose, however — from 425 cwt. to 439 cwt. per acre. Harvested acreage in Canada fell from 351,000 acres to 342,000 acres. Yields rose from 292 cwt. to 298 cwt. per acre.
San Luis Valley, Colorado potato shipments – grossing about $2700 to Atlanta.
Columbia Basin, Washington potato shipments – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
Stevens Point, Wisconsin potato shipments – grossing about $3400 to Dallas.